Apple has launched its end-of-year App Store promotion, including charts ranking the most lucrative iOS apps in 2014 in the UK. Although as it turns out, the two top grossing apps were both originally released in 2012.

Freemium game Candy Crush Saga was the top grossing iPhone app in 2014 ahead of rival Clash of Clans, with the two games reversing those positions in Apple’s top grossing iPad apps chart for the year.

Nine of the top 10 apps in each chart were “free-to-play” games – so named because they are free to download and play, but make their money from additional in-app purchases and advertising.

Apple’s editorial picks for the best game of 2014 on both platforms might be seen as making a point, then: the company named puzzle game Threes! as the best iPhone game, and Monument Valley as the best iPad game.

Both are paid games rather than free-to-play titles, although Monument Valley recently added extra levels as an in-app purchase. Picking Threes! may also be a nod to a debate in 2014 about cloning: the game’s number-sliding formula was copied by a number of other games.

Also notable in the end-of-year rankings was the popularity of messaging apps in the chart for the most popular iPhone apps of 2014. Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Snapchat took the top three spots in that chart.

Downloads of Facebook Messenger were boosted sharply this year when the social network removed messaging from its main iOS app. Messenger was also the second most downloaded free iPad app of 2014, behind Skype for iPad and ahead of Netflix.

In fact, only two of the top grossing iPhone apps in 2014 – fourth-ranked Farm Heroes Saga and eighth-ranked Kim Kardashian: Hollywood – were released this year. Four originally came out in 2012, three in 2013, and Match.com has been on the App Store since 2009.

Two of the top grossing iPad apps in 2014 were released this year – Farm Heroes Saga again and Boom Beach. Two originally came out in 2013, four in 2012, one in 2011 and one in 2010.

Google has not published sales or top grossing charts for Android apps in 2014, although the company has launched a Best Apps of 2014 promotion with its own editorial picks.

Apple’s full 2014 charts follow. Remember, these are for the UK specifically: